LOst in the rain
by Ivgie Sole
Summary: Hi all! After a long haitus Ivgie Sole strikes back with "Lost in the rain". I usualy don't write depressing stuff, but... anyway, TK and his mom now live in Paris so Mrs.Takaishi could help her parents. TK's unhappy, he misses home and most of all, he mi


LOST IN THE RAIN  
  
Paris, France  
TK opened his eyes to the sound of pouring rain behind the window. Heavy led drops   
were sliping down the glass, so many of them they were making the Eifel tower, half-  
hidden in thick haze almost invisible. It was rainy morning in Paris. TK hated rainy   
mornings. He hated Paris, too.  
"It's just temporary, hon," - mom told him after informing TK they'd be moving to   
France. - "For a few months only. You know your grandfather's ill, him and grandma   
will need our help for a while. Once he gets better we return home. Besides, you'll like   
Paris, it's a very beautiful city."  
Yeah, right.  
Those "few months" lasted a little longer than he expected. Grandfather soon   
recovered, but Mrs.Takaishi wasn't hurrying to return to Japan. And one day he realized   
they live in a little nice flat in the center of Paris, mom found herself a pretty nice job, a   
boyfriend, who just happened to be her boss came along, and TK himself was going to   
school in the neighbourhood. All of a sudden it came to him, "HELLO, WISE GUY!   
YOU'RE STAYING HERE! YOU LIVE HERE! MOM'S NOT GOING TO RETURN   
TO JAPAN, NOT TOMORROW, NOT IN A FEW MONTHS, NOT IN IN A FEW   
YEARS! WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD,KIDDO!"  
They had a talk then. Mrs.Takaishi looked guilty and upset.   
"Yes, I'd like to stay, sweetheart. But I thought you like being here... I understand," -   
she sighed - " You're missing your father and Matt and your friends..."  
He sure did. He missed them all, and most of them all, even more than Matt, he missed   
Kari. Then, in the airport, when he was leaving, Kari hugged him and whispered in his   
ear, "Come back soon, I'll be waiting for you". Three years have passed since then, but   
TK knew she was still waiting for his return. She herself wrote him so in one of her e -   
mails. That was the only thing that kept TK on track all this time - the fact that   
somewhere on the other side of the world there is a girl who loves him and waits   
passionately for him. In three years he'll be 18. Then he'll return to Odaiba,with mom,   
TK hoped, and finaly embrace Kari. And then he'll make sure they'll never be apart   
again. Just in three short years...  
On second thought, make it two years.  
"Gee, it's my Birthday today" - TK mumbled, getting out of bed. - "There realy must be   
something wrong with me if I forget my own Birthday. Baka..."  
He walked out of the room and into salon. His mother had already left for office,   
leaving him a note on the table.  
  
"Happy 16th Birthday, ma petite," - it said - " Sorry I left without wishing you that in   
person, but here's the present, I hope you like it. Tonight grandpa and grandma will   
come over to our place and we'll celebrate. You won't believe what they have for you...   
Ok, I won't spoil the surprise, but wait till you see it. Love you, hon."  
  
Lying beside the note was some sort of flat square object wrapped in multi-colored   
paper and decorated with tiny paper flower. Smiling, TK unwrapped the present, which   
turned out to be Westlife's "Coast to Coast" CD. He shrugged his shoulders. Where   
mom got the idea he likes Westlife from? Anyways, a gift is a gift... TK brushed his   
teeth, prepeared himself a breakfest ( a toast and a glass of orange juice ), got dressed   
quickly and hurried to school.  
Ah yes, he didn't like the school too, not that he was a bad student or didn't get along with   
staff or other pupils. To them he was rather pleasent, quiet youngster, a little too shy   
and introvert maybe, but still very kind and obedient; and if TK could get Kari out of   
his mind for a day and look around he would notice the glances his female classmates   
were giving him. Handsome looks, an exotic combination of blond hair and blue, yet   
narrow, Asian eyes and his entire "Mr. Mysterious Orient" image have made him quite   
popular with the girls, while the guys were highly impressed with his preformance in   
basketball games. "Slam Dunk", they've nicknamed him, Takeru "Slam Dunk" Takaishi.  
Still, he had no close friends, sort of friends he could hang with, sort of friends he could   
relie on, sort of friends whom he could trust enough to tell how bitter he feels inside.  
While sitting in the class TK couldn't help but going back in time and remembering his   
old school in Odaiba, missing it, longing to return. And anytime the classroom's door   
opened he was rising his eyes, hoping against all odds Kari would come in. Or Matt.   
Heck, even Davis would be welcomed.   
That was the situation.  
  
"Mom, d'you need to make call anytime soon?" - TK shouted to the other room. He was   
sitting in front of his PC, finishing off the remainings of yesterday's B-day cake.  
"No, dear" - came Mrs.Takaishi respond.  
"Allright, I'm going online then!" - with this, he clicked the mouse and, bang, he was in   
the web. After quickly checking the e-mail ( a "Happy Birthday" letters from dad and   
his older brother, Kari and the rest of the crew) he opened the ICQ programm. Yes!   
Davis was online as well. Though they never were the best of friends ( because of Kari,   
of course ), TK and Davis still managed to get along. And Davis was the only one with   
a PC camera. Well, not the only one anymore. Resting on top of TK's computer was a   
brand new Philips cam, that very same "surprise" from his grandparents mom was   
talking about and now he was going to try it.  
Another click of the mouse, the request was sent. TK held his breath, then "YOUR   
REQUEST HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED" sign flashed, and a window appeared in the   
middle of the screen.  
"Hi Jun," - he waved.  
"TK!" - Davis's younger sister squealed, half-surprised, half-happily. - "What's been up?   
Since when do you have a cam?"  
He replied,"Since yesterday. How are you?"  
"TK," - she started in angry voice. - "You've gotta tell to your brother. He keeps ducking   
me. Tell him it's not OK. How can he know we don't fit each other if he never took me   
out for a date? I mean, if I'd get a chance I'd prove him I'm the girl he needs, but he   
won't give it to me, and that's not fair, is it? Is it?"  
"Well... er... I-a..." - TK said, barely holding himself back from brusting into laugher   
thinking, please shut up Jun, before it's too late, please...  
"Of course it it's not fair! So tell him I..."  
"Fine, allright, I'll talk to him," - he interupted, smiling. - "Is Davis there?"  
"Yeah," - Jun answered, looking annoyed. - "Returned from some party half an hour   
ago, with that girlfriend of his, locked themselves in our room, Lord knows for what,   
turned the boombox on so loud my head's going to explode any second now..."  
"Poor clueless Jun," - TK thought. - "And you're wondering why Matt doesnt want to go   
out with you."  
"It's almost midnight now and tomorrow it's Sunday, gotta get up early to go to school"   
- she continued. - " Mom and dad are visiting aunt Aya in Osaka, so while they're absent   
Davis does whatever he wants and gets away with it. But as soon as they return you can   
bet your socks I'll tell them everything and I..."  
"What were you saying here, sis?," - Davis appeared behind her back, dressed in black   
silk boxers, beads of swear slippning down his forehead, his face slightly red. - "Did   
you just say...?"  
"Er, I said I... well nothing, never mind... here, why don't you say hi to TK?"  
"TJ!" - Davis shouted happily, spotting him and leaning close to the screen. "Heyas,   
whass been up, mon garson?"  
"Hi," - he chuckled. - "I see you're having fun here..."  
"Well, sorta," - Davis said with his adorable French acsent and winked. - " Big Sexy   
Motomiya is living large and in charge, dude-o."  
"How's Kari?"  
"Kari... well..." - all of a sudden Davis got confused.  
"What? Anything wrong with her?"  
Davis looked aside.  
"No, she's quite OK... you see..."  
" Who are you talking to?" - came the girl's voice.  
" Hey, don't..." - panic-stroken Davis said, but that moment Kari stepped in, dressed in   
knee-long T shirt.  
TK froze on his seat.  
Next second Kari spotted him and paled, stepping back.  
"TK?" - she only whispered, looking confused.  
'Hey, TK, listen..." - Davis started, but then came another click and the connection was   
broken.  
For a few minutes he sat still. Then he got up, staring blinklessy in front of him,   
grabbed his schoolbag and walked out of the room.  
"Mom?" - TK called in quiet, strangely calm voice. - "I'm going for a lil' walk, allright?"  
"Now? But it's raining outside!" - Mrs. Takaishi protested. - "You're gonna catch cold   
for God's sake! TK!"  
But he was already running down the stares and after a few seconds stepped into cold   
pouring rain.  
  
  
Tokyo, Japan  
"C'mon, Kari, chill!" - Davis was trying to calm the girl down, as she, fully dressed now,   
was walking back and forth his room. - "What's so horrible about this situation? TK has   
been away for years now, and you don't know when and if he's going to return. Besides,   
what's his problem? You're not his property, and he can't forbid you to have fun. And   
he'll never be in my class anyway..."  
"Will you shut up?" - Kari snapped, cutting him off. Then, after thinking for a minute,   
she pulled a cell phone out of her jeans pocket.  
"Hey you're not calling him, are you?" -asked Davis, puzzled. But she was doing just   
that.  
"Gotta talk to him," - she mumbled, - "Gotta apologize... He'll understand... Hello? Mrs.   
Takaishi, hi, it's Kari. Yes, I'm fine, and you? Is TK home? Gone? Well, where to?   
Ah... Ah, ok... Thanks. Goodbye..."  
"Well what are you going to do now?" - Davis asked sarcasticly. - "They have flights to   
Paris every few hours, you know."  
Kari hesitated.  
"Give me your D3," - she asked suddenly. Her boyfriend's eyes buggled.  
"C'mon, give me your D3" - Kari repeated.  
"But what for? It won't work, it hadn't been working since we beat Mala Myotismon!"  
"Just give it to me!" - she screamed angrily. - "I want to try and get into Digital world.   
There's gotta be a way to get to Paris from there."  
Davis put his hand on her shoulder.  
"Honey, relax, will you? If you're so intend to talk to TK you can try calling him later,   
you shouldn't..."  
"Didn't you hear me?" - she hissed, pushing his hand off.  
Davis smirked, took the D3 out of his table and handed it to Kari.  
"Oh, allright then, let's see you try..."  
She pointed the device at the computer's screen, inhailed deep and shouted,  
"Digital gate, open!"  
Nothing.  
"See?" - Davis said. - "Told you so. Kari, really, why don't you calm do..."  
"DIGITAL GATE, OPEN!!!"   
Wham! Kari disappeared in a flash of white light.  
  
  
Paris, France  
TK was walking down almost empty streets, hands in his jeans pockets, looking down   
at his sneakers that were crushing brown, red and yellow leaves on the ground. It was   
still raining, so it was hard to tell if he was crying silently or were it just drops of rain   
slipping down his cheeks. He also had phones on ( the discman was in the schoolbag   
TK was carrying on his shoulder ), and soft and sad melody was flowing into his ears:  
  
If only you could see the tears   
In the world you left behind  
If only you could heal my heart   
Just one more time  
Even when I close my eyes  
There's an image of your face  
And once again I come to realize  
You're a loss I can't replace  
  
TK stopped, looked around, and picked up a stone, which he put in his pocket. Then   
another one. And another one... With every stone he picked he was whispering Kari's   
name.  
  
Soledad, it's a keeping for a lonely  
Since the day that you were gone  
Soledad, in my heart you were the only  
And your memory lives on  
Why did you leave me, Soledad?  
  
Limping a bit because his jeans's pockets were full of stones, TK continued his walk   
down the street.  
BANG! Kari took a step and exited The Digital world, finding herself in some empty   
street under pouring rain. She looked around, not knowing where to go and what to do.   
She wasn't even sure where did she land, for that matter. If it is Paris, she thought, I   
should go to TK's home and wait for him there. But wait a minute... I don't even know   
where he lives! What to do, what do do?  
Her thoughts were interrupted by tall, fat man who appeared from behind the corner. He   
had thick, bushy mustache, dressed in brown three-piece suit and had a case in one hand   
and umbrella in another. Staring at Kari in amazement, he boomed something in a   
language she didn't know. Seeing confusement on the girl's face, he said in deep,   
acsented voice, "Do you speak English?"  
Kari nodded.  
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, what city is it? I'm... I'm a tourist, you see, and..."  
"You're in Paris, young lady," - fat man said, lookind down at her. - "And I wonder in   
which country it's a custom to walk under such a strong rain in jeans and T shirt. And   
SLIPPERS, for crying out loud! I don't care who you are and which weird place you   
came from, but get under umbrella now before you catch pneumonia."  
Kari obeyed. She was already soaking wet and shaking. It was realy cold.  
"I think I saw someone from your tribe not a while ago," - her saviour was saying   
meanwhile. - " A kid from the Whacko land. Like you dressed only in jeans and T, and   
looked Asian, too, only what, he was blond..."  
"B-blond?" - Kari babbled, staring at him.  
"Yeah, and it didn't look like he dyed his hair to me. And you know what the strangest   
thing about him was? He was picking up stones from the ground and stuffing them into   
his bag!"  
" When? Where did he went?" - Kari whispered. She suddenly felt her feet were holding   
her no more.  
"I met him about five minutes ago, he was heading down to Sena quay I believe..." - he   
stopped, spotting the look of terror on the girl's face. - "Hey you don't think he was   
going to... OH MERDE!!" - the fat man roared and rushed back to the direction he   
came from. - "Quickly, girl, we can still save him!!!"  
Kari ran after him, but being younger and faster she reached the quay first. A tall, thin   
figure standing near the guard rail was barely visible through the rain. But it took Kari   
just a few seconds to recognize...  
"TK!" - she cried. - "TK, I'm here! I'm sorry! Don't... don't jump, please! TK!"  
Why is he not responding? Is he ignoring me? Or he can't hear me?  
  
There was nothing but haze. Haze everywhere. Grey haze, so kosy and probably warm,   
TK thought he could wrap it around himself, hide inside it. The haze would eraze all the   
memories. It would take away all his pain, all his tears, all his love. The haze would   
give him rest... Make him forget her.  
Only that haze and a song that was still flowing from the phones and into his ears.  
TK climbed over the guard rail.  
  
"Walking down the streets of Nothingville  
Where our love was young and free  
Can't believe just what an empty space  
It has came to be  
I could give my love away  
If it would only be the same  
'Cause I can't still the voice inside of me  
That is calling out your name"  
  
Kari was running through the rain and mist, crying. She lost her slippers, and collapsed,   
rolling a few feet on the ground, bloodying her elbow and tearing the jeans on her   
knees, then got up and kept running, screaming for the figure that seemed so close now   
but stil wasnt responding to her begs and cries, standing with his back turned. But that's   
it, just a few more steps and she'll stop him, apologize befor him, make him   
understand...  
Now, TK though. Stepping forward into the haze he yelled, "Goodbye, Kari, I LOVE   
YOU!!!", never realizing she was right behind his back.  
Kari spotted TK making a step forward, she reached her hand in desperation, nearly   
grabbing him by the T shirt but  
"TK NO PLEASE NO I'M HERE I LOVE YOU TOO TK JUST DONT DO IT DON'T   
JUMP TK TK TEEEEEEEEE KAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!......"  
missing.  
After a second she heard a loud splash somewhere down there.  
When the fat man finaly came running to the quay, he found Kari sitting on the wet   
asphalt hugging her knees and staring blinklessly into the water, whispering "TK" over   
and over again. The rain stopped, but drops of salty water were still slipping down her   
face.  
  
Soledad, it's a keeping for a lonely  
Since the day that you were gone  
Soledad, in my heart you were the only  
And your memory lives on  
Why did you leave me, Soledad?  
  
THE END 


End file.
